Overactive Bladder
What is overactive bladder?
With overactive bladder, you have many strong, sudden urges to urinate during the day and night. You can get these urges even when you have only a little bit of urine in your bladder. You may not be able to hold your urine until you get to the bathroom. This can lead to urine leakage, called incontinence.
Overactive bladder is very common in older adults. Both men and women can have it, but it’s more common in women.
Overactive bladder is a kind of urge incontinence, but not everyone with overactive bladder leaks urine.
Even without incontinence, overactive bladder can make it hard to do the things you enjoy. The need to drop everything and race to the bathroom can disrupt your life. And if you leak, even if it’s only a little bit, it can be embarrassing.
Overactive bladder can cause other problems too. Hurrying to the bathroom can lead to falls and broken bones. Overactive bladder can also cause sleeping problems, depression and urinary tract infections.
Many people are too shy to talk about their bladder problems. But overactive bladder can get better with treatment. Don’t be afraid to talk with your doctor about how to control your overactive bladder.
What are the causes and symptoms?
How is overactive bladder diagnosed?